France, Feb. 25 -- Backed by a comfortable majority of 215 votes to 41 on Tuesday, the text - championed by the government as a pathway to renewed stability in the Pacific territory - now faces a far more uncertain reception among MPs.

Opening the debate, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu framed the reform as a necessary step forward. "The status quo is not a viable option," he told senators, warning that inaction would amount to abandoning "republican ideals, social progress and the renewed construction of peace" in the archipelago.

The government has presented the proposal as a carefully negotiated compromise, built on agreements reached with a majority of New Caledonia's political forces - notably the Bougival Agreement of July 2025 a...